Applications are now being accepted for the American Floral Endowment’s Vic & Margaret Ball Intern Scholarship Program and Mosmiller Intern Scholarship Program, according to a news release. AFE administers paid internship programs for floriculture and environmental horticulture students each year, and the next application deadline is Oct. 1. Students selected will receive a scholarship upon successful completion of their internships. The Vic & Margaret... Read more

FTD Cos. Inc. announced the appointment of Jeffrey D. T. Severts as executive vice president and chief marketing officer, according to a news release. “I am very pleased to welcome Jeff to our team,” said John C. Walden, FTD’s president and chief executive officer, in the release. “His diverse set of marketing skills and track record of success, with particular depth in customer and brand strategy, customer experience and analytics, make... Read more

Dümmen Orange announced that Angela Storm has joined the sales team to support customers and brokers in the western United States, according to a news release. Her primary focus will be to facilitate a positive customer experience by liaising between customers and all facets of the Dümmen Orange organization, including production planning, logistics, product management, and marketing. She will also oversee the work of Whitney Voelker, a recent addition... Read more

Joep Wiegel stepped down Sept. 1 as Chrysal’s chief executive officer — a position he’s held since 2007 — and after being active for over 20 years with the company, according to a news release. Wiegel was the driving force behind the further expansion of Chrysal’s post-harvest business and the expansion to Colombia, Ecuador, Kenya and Japan. He will remain involved with Chrysal until the end of the year in connection with handing... Read more

The Society of American Florists’ chief executive officer, Peter Moran, will retire at the end of the year from his post after 33 years with the organization, according to a news release. Kate Penn, currently chief content officer and editor-in-chief of SAF’s publication, Floral Management, will assume the role of CEO effective Nov. 1, after which Moran will help work through the transition through the end of the year. “There is... Read more

The American Floral Endowment is in its third year of aiming to attract young business professionals to the world of flowers through its Business Internship Program, according to a news release. An Employer Resource Guide that was created to help companies build a successful internship program is also available, with easy-to-use guidelines and steps to create meaningful learning experiences for the next generation of business leaders. Now’s your chance to... Read more

Dwight Larimer, president at Design Master color tool Inc. in Boulder, CO, will be inducted into the Michigan Floral Foundation Hall of Fame at the MFF Hall of Fame Induction Dinner Oct. 24 at the University Club of Michigan State University in East Lansing, MI. The MFF was established to support and advance the floral industry, its members and the communities they serve through educational opportunities and community enrichment activities. “Dwight is a... Read more

In order to better understand millennials’ preferences for and barriers to purchasing flowers, the American Floral Endowment and the Floral Marketing Research Fund released a study that helps all segments of the industry understand millennials’ purchasing behaviors. An online survey was conducted with 3,011 U.S. millennial consumers aged between 18 to 40 years old, according to a news release. Price is a major purchasing barrier for 75 percent of millennial... Read more

The House Appropriations Committee has recommended allotting $500,000 to a key floral industry research fund — doubling the amount that the Society of American Florists members lobbied for during Congressional Action Days, according to a news release. Members of the committee wrote that their recommendation would allow the Floriculture and Nursery Research Initiative “to expand research capacity.” “The committee values the importance of... Read more

The 14th edition of the biennial floral trade show Proflora is slated for Oct. 4-6 at the Corferias Convention Center in Bogota, Colombia, and this year’s 15 percent increased exhibit space is almost sold out, according to a news release. On the floor of a previous Proflora trade show.Over 300 companies from 15 countries, including flower growers and breeders, general suppliers and service companies from Colombia, Ecuador, the Netherlands, Costa Rica, Spain,... Read more

Flowers Canada (Ontario) and pickOntario announced a new dining experience called Petals and Plates, a series of flower-focused farm dinners that highlight Canadian flower growers and their importance in Canada’s agricultural landscape. “Each dinner will be a complete sensory experience, yet unique from each other in that the table will be surrounded by a different crop of flowers,” said Jesseline Gough, marketing coordinator at Flowers Canada... Read more

This year’s Fun ‘N Sun event was held Aug. 9-12 in Carlsbad, CA, at the Hyatt Park Aviara Resort. Everything about our time in San Diego County was first rate — including the weather. Fun ‘N Sun is a biennial event and it’s truly unique among U.S. floral conventions and conferences. In addition to a great locale and abundance of old friends and new friends, it included a Flower Fair — with the largest display of California floral... Read more

This summer is the 50th anniversary of the Summer of Love in San Francisco and the San Francisco Asian Art Museum is currently staging an exhibit titled “Flower Power.” The museum website explains, “During the Summer of Love, flowers became powerful symbols of peace, a concept plucked from Buddhist art. More than merely decorative, floral imagery has helped convey ideas from the refined to the revolutionary for thousands of years.” In addition,... Read more

The Wholesale Florist & Florist Supplier Association’s 2017 Floral Distribution Conference will convene Oct. 18-20 at the Miami Airport Convention Center in Miami and close to 900 industry professionals are expected to attend, according to a news release. The three-day event is an opportunity to join industry peers for education and networking designed to help your business grow. Additional Table Tops have been added this year with an extra five feet... Read more

The Produce Marketing Association’s Fresh Connection: Floral Miami brought together a who’s who of mass-market retail sellers and buyers to learn about new trends in floral, and to simply celebrate the floral community, according to a news release. More than 200 people gathered at the Hyatt Regency Miami from across the floral and potted plant supply chain — including breeders and growers, importers and exporters, retailers and suppliers “Spending... Read more

The mass-market floral industry will come together for inspirational education, networking, leadership recognition and community when Produce Marketing Association’s 2017 Fresh Summit Convention & Expo convenes Oct. 19-21 in New Orleans at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, according to a news release. “This year’s floral programming is designed by industry, for industry, and offers something for everyone across our supply chain to help... Read more

Miami is the hub of the U.S. floral industry because it serves as the distribution center for flowers and foliage from across the globe. And five hours north, along a rural corridor winding through three central Florida counties, sits the production hub of the American cut foliage industry. With Greenery being the 2017 Pantone Color of the Year, and the popularity of foliage designs — including garlands — being at an all-time high, this seems like... Read more

On Sept. 12, Miami will be the place to meet and talk about the latest developments in consumer marketing and new business models in the field of international floriculture, according to a news release. Dümmen Orange, Ideavelop, Ter Laak Orchids and the Dutch Consulate in Miami, in collaboration with the Produce Marketing Association, invite you to join a unique Meet-Up, which coincides with the presence of two international trade missions visiting Miami —... Read more

All floral professionals are familiar with alstroemeria, but have you seen its stunning relative that is taking the industry by storm? Charmelia, meaning “charming beauty,” is a new flower variety that features 20 blooms per stem and a long-lasting vase life. With its many branches, Charmelia’s blossoms grow upwards in a fountain-like shape topped by a rich floral crown. And as an added bonus, it does not drop its flowers and its leaves also... Read more

What do pork chops on a stick, school buses and Monday night football have in common? The end of summer here in the upper Midwest. Our “Great Minnesota Get-together,” the annual State Fair, means overindulging in every possible type of food on a stick (usually deep-fried), cramming “a year’s worth of eating into 12 days,” and the dawning of autumn. On top of that, I’ve noticed a change in the color palette at local supermarket... Read more